The present invention relates to a sampling system for fluid samples. Sampling systems of this type are required in particular if a sample is intended to be taken from a liquid or a gas volume. Sampling systems of this type are required in particular in order to monitor the process in bioreactors, i.e. in particular in the field of biotechnology, but also in the chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, foodstuffs industry and also in the field of environmental technology and for official bodies, for example environmental protection agencies or analysis laboratories.
In the case of laboratory bioreactors made of stainless steel, normally cocks and valves in the base of the laboratory bioreactor are used for manual sampling. In the case of glass reactors which are used frequently on a laboratory scale and are accessible only from the top, manual sampling is normally implemented with the help of a so-called dip pipe. The sample is hereby conveyed out of the bioreactor via a tube with a syringe and using a pump. This mode of operation has the result that the sample is normally drawn out of the reactor from the top via a dip pipe. If the sample is drawn merely from the surface of the reactor volume, then inaccurate samples can be produced. However, if the dip pipe extends very far into the volume, then a relative large dead volume is produced, which can likewise effect inaccuracy of the sample or entails a large sample loss since the dead volume usually must then be discarded.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to make available a reliable sampling system which enables manual sampling with a low dead volume.
This object is achieved by the sampling system as disclosed hereinafter. Advantageous developments of the sampling system according to the invention are also revealed.